Juveniles charged for possessing replica guns Passerby thought they were real weapons, called the police BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer HOLMDEL - Police arrested six juveniles last week after they were seen with replica handguns that looked so authentic that many police are hard-pressed to tell the difference. According to Detective Sgt. Lou Torres of the Holmdel Police Department, a female motorist noticed a car full of juveniles attempting to load what she thought were handguns while driving through Holmdel. She contacted police and gave the license plate of the car, leading authorities to the homes of the juveniles. "One particular gun looked like the Beretta our officers carry," Torres said. The handguns, which were spring loaded and shoot plastic BBs, are so alike in weight and appearance that it is difficult to distinguish between a real threat and a toy. Torres said they even disassemble in the same manner as their authentic counterparts. "The weight of it, the whole nine yards are very real," Torres said. Torres said that when purchased, these guns come with an orange tip meant to differentiate between the real and fake weapons. "A lot of kids are taking that orange tip off," Torres said. "That one gun, you couldn't tell the difference between the real one and the fake one." The very same night, Torres said, while the police officer was bringing in the first group of offenders, two more teenagers were seen with fake handguns. He said the two incidents were completely unrelated. While the guns are fake, police say the threat is very real. Torres said a scenario exists where an officer may not be able to tell the difference between the replica and a real firearm. Faced with a hostile situation, the officer may react with force. "It's a split-second decision," Torres said. Detective Sgt. Jim Smythe said that juveniles are purchasing these replicas over the Internet or at places like the Collingwood Auction, Howell, and simply removing the safety tips. "Our main concern is we have juveniles driving around in motor vehicles with these things and that's not a good thing," Smythe said. "We're taking a proactive approach because we certainly don't want any of these things showing up in schools." Smythe would like parents to know that these handguns are not legal and that they pose a real threat to the safety of the child. "We don't see any reason whatsoever that juveniles should have these things in the first place, and there is going to be dire consequences if they are found to be in possession in a motor vehicle or on school property," he said. Smythe warned that those carrying the replica handguns while in a motor vehicle will be charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, as were the juveniles last week. "The bottom line is I don't know how any person can rationalize the fact of having one of these weapons in a car or out in public," Smythe said. "There is no reason for it."